Complications Retold
by DELEON25
Summary: In an effort to move on from the past, Leon returned to Megakat to start his life all over again. But when that past starts to meddle him into discovering the secret's of his father's work and projects, would Leon be able to accept what actually happened to his father and the reasons behind them? An all new adventure awaits.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: The Brand New Days

The young tabby waited alone for his train to arrive. After talking to his mother a couple days before, he had finally felt he was ready to move back to the city and move one with his life. The dirty blond tabby knew his mother would be against the idea, but nevertheless he was allowed out of trust. Leon promised he'd be alright and would stay with his uncle until he can live fully on his own.

Leon made sure to call his uncle when he arrived and made a note of the shop's number in a piece of paper. It had been several years since he had left the city after his father's death; a memory that burned and haunted his dreams every night after that first year. Time had left him wounded. Leon secluded himself from anyone in the private school he was attending and got into fights with anyone who had an issue with him.

The spring semester was about to end soon, but Leon didn't mind that he had to transfer schools. In fact, he told ahead of time in the counselor's office that he planned on moving to Megakat and thought transferring would have been a much easier solution than just waiting for the year to end. His junior year in the private school was a bit of a drag. Most of the students there were either snobby rich kats or kats lucky enough to pay for their education.

But Leon had found peace and solace in a class he'd never thought he'd be good on, great even. The others had thought of him as some natural at acting and performing, but in reality, Leon found an escape from the pain of being himself and the guilt he carried from time to time.

"_The train heading to Megakat City will be arriving in a few minutes. Passengers heading toward Megakat, please stay behind the yellow line until the train has come to a full stop."_

Leon grabbed his bag and backpack then started walking down toward his platform. The train finally came to a stop and the doors opened enough for him to walk in quickly. In the corner of his eye, he spotted a girl getting on the train at the same moment as him. Ignoring it for the moment, Leon went inside and took his seat near the window.

More kats and canines filled the rows rather quick. Leon didn't want to sit to anyone and grabbed his things looking for a spot further back. Lucky for him, there were fewer passengers two cabins back taking a whole new empty seat for himself. The tabby sighed with relief when the train whistled and motioned to move on its way toward the city. After several minutes of looking out the window, Leon pulled out his mp3 to pass the time listening to some music to hopefully fall asleep throughout the ride.

He saw her again from the corner of his eye. This time he could make her out better from her white fur, but her dark short hair blocked a bit of her face. She wore long boots that reached almost to her knees, a black and white striped stocking, red and black checkered skirt, and a white blouse with a black neck tie. The red collar around her neck had a gold lock ornament and long black with red and yellow thin stripes arm stockings.

Leon looked away quickly when she turned around to look toward his direction. The tabby had not realized he had been staring at her for quite a while that he felt a bit guilty. She was cute, but didn't feel like getting to know anyone just yet. Especially since he had just barely left town to head to Megakat.

Thoughts of returning to the city really made the tabby nervous. Many memories flowed back to mind the longer he had kept thinking about his father and times they had spent together. Even when Leon's father had to go to work, in some occasion the young tabby would be brought along to keep the man company. Leon's family had money to support themselves even with his father gone. His father was a rocket scientist in Pumadyne and did research on ways to perfect the use of rocket powered engines for a much safer use.

The young tabby was nudged that it had startled him out of his daydream. A tom in business attire had been standing in front of him holding out a backpack, "I believe you had left this behind."

"Oh, thanks." Leon took back his bag setting it beside him near the window.

"Don't mention it. You wouldn't want to lose that again, dear boy." The tom nodded and went on his way back to the other car. Leon didn't think twice about the good gesture then went back to listening to his music.

The vast fields of lush green stretched throughout the fields and hills. Several trees dotted the landscape, but there was a large forested area just into few at the horizon. The train made its way over the lake. The sun shining made the lake shine and glitter with the waves. Then everything went dark outside of view.

All the young tabby could hear was the rush of air against the thin space between the tunnel wall and the train. The trains gentle shifting was making it hard for Leon to stay awake a little bit longer. The darkness made it seem like they were lost in an endless tunnel, forced to see their reflection looking in or into the same darkness.

The quick shine of light bursting in made Leon stagger a bit and slowly opened his eyes to see the city just in reach. It was quickly blocked from view as the train traveled into the forest with shadows dancing in different patterns when passing through. The usual suburban homes welcomed the passengers as they exited the forest.

The announcement spoke to its riders of the arriving stop. Leon grabbed his belongings and making sure he had all of his bags. When the train finally came to a stop, he made his way out looking for a phone to use in the busy station.

It was a lot more crowded. Leon could barely get passed through the pedestrians, bumping into others that gave him rude remarks or apologizing. When Leon finally found the phones, there was not a single open one available for him and a long line waited for others to use.

Leon then took out his cell then groaned remembering he had no service. With a sigh, the tabby made his way out of the station with his uncle's shop number in hand. He hoped a shop nearby could let him use a phone to make a quick call to his uncle. Several kats made their way inside and some out. In the corner of the street, he spotted a phone booth and quickly made his way in the small cubical picking up the phone. Leon dialed the number and waited several seconds to hear the click.

"Jake and Chance's Garage and Salvage. What can I do for you?" The voice on the other end was a bit unfamiliar and assumed it was Jake.

"Is Chance there? I need to talk to him."

"Chance? He is hear, but who is this?"

"Um... I'm Leon Furlong. I'm near the train station in Megakat." The guy named Jake made a strange sound when Leon told him his name. The young tabby heard the commotion as he waited for a while and then heard Jake again.

"Okay, kid, how do I know you're not lying me?"

"My uncle watches Scaredy Kat at approximately seven in the morning and at two thirty in the afternoon." Leon was a bit ticked off that they didn't believe him, but his answer tested perfect to the tom on the other end. The phone was shuffled around and a gruff sound cleared its throat.

"Leon, what the hell are you doing here in Megakat? I thought you were going to live with your mom." Chance sounded concerned and very surprised.

"I decided to come back on my own. I promised my mom I'd stay with you until I can take care of myself and move on."

"That's great and all, but... Look, Leon, I'm not sure there's any place for you to stay here. We barely have sizable rooms to ourselves and-" Chance was cut off and started to argue with Jake. The two didn't take long since the family card was played just in time to Leon's defense. "Fine, I'll pick you up. We can think about the rest later."

Leon thanked his uncle and Jake before hanging up. A smile formed on his face after putting up the phone back to its holster. Coming out of the phone booth, a rushing car made his stagger back and fall. Leon glared and cursed at the speeding vehicle that showed no sign of slowing down at all. His eyes landed on the girl standing on the sidewalk looking right at him.

It was the same girl from the train he was on. She walked up to him with her hand held out to help him up. Her light emerald eyes shone in the light and seemed a lot brighter against her white fur. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"Whatever. All I did was pull you up." Her tone was rude, but she did mind well enough to help him. She kept on walking passed him without making a second glance. Leon wanted to follow right behind her, but he knew he had to wait for his uncle to pick him up.

Something was off about her in many ways that Leon could think of. He wondered where she was heading or IF she had anywhere to go. The girl had no luggage with her or even a bag. Leon couldn't callback if the girl had any bags in the train, but remembered her just sitting there looking out the window. Was she robbed, Leon thought. The car that passed by earlier was in a hurry, so he didn't rule it out.

"Who are you...?"

* * *

"Welcome to our little home." Chance smiled as best as he could when he brought Leon to the garage. The young tabby was confused at first to why he was brought to their shop and not to an apartment or something. "It's a long story. I will tell you when we have the time."

"Did you quit the enforcers?" Both Jake and Chance looked at each other with a little pain on their face.

"Later, Leon. Right now we have to talk about where you'll be staying. Plus all the things you might need while you're here." Chance tried to keep his smile around Leon to make things awkward. The two gave Leon a quick tour around the house since everything was usually in one place. At the balcony of the garage, Leon could barely see how big and wide the salvage yard was from where he stood. There was a ladder that lead to the roof where the satellite stood pointing toward the sky.

"What's that for? I noticed a TV dish just outside, so why have that there?"

"That satellite? It doesn't do anything. It's used to be used for...uh..." Jake had a pensive panicked look on his face.

"It was to detect enemy fighter planes during the Megakat Wars! Yeah, that's it..." Chance blurted out. Jake agreed along with the older tabby and looked a bit relieved with the quick thinking. Leon, however, didn't buy into the lie, but decided to leave it be. "So now we showed you around our comfy home."

"Comfy? I could see that you guys made some fixes here and there. How long have you guys been living here?" Chance gave up trying to avoid the question and told Leon everything.

The day both were chasing down Dark Kat to finally put the psychotic bastard behind bars; Feral's greed to take credit of capturing Dark Kat caused them to lose control of their plane to have it crash to the Enforcer Building. Feral blamed the accident on Jake and Chance and also blamed for having Dark Kat escape. Their punishment was the lose of their title as Enforcers and made to work in the Enforcer owned garage and salvage yard until their debt for the damages had been paid in full.

"I guess you could say we were here for about ten months now. The pay isn't fair and we rarely get costumers down here. The only time it's ever been busy is when the city gets attacked or during the summer." Jake said.

"Yeah, but it has given us plenty of time to stay in shape and relax for when duty calls." Leon was confused by what his uncle meant. The two didn't get much business, so the young tabby pondered on what else they do around here.

"I just realized something. Where will I be sleeping?"

"I thought about it, but you could take the sofa. It's not in the best condition, but it is pretty comfortable." Leon stared at the questionable sofa in great discomfort. Some areas of the couch were torn and had stains on it from who-knows-what. "There really isn't any other place, so make yourself at home."

"Jeez... Thanks, Chance."

"I was going to cook tonight, but I could save that for tomorrow. Why not just order a pizza and celebrate Leon being here. We could always use a third pair of hands around the garage."

"Good idea, Jake. Pizzas on me!"

* * *

Leon was a little curious about the school he had chosen to attend for the semester. The folder he had brought with him were filled with the information he needed to make his transfer smoothly. The counselors were kind and patient with him when they asked why he decided to attend a public school rather then a city public school, but the young tabby easily avoided answering too much than what anyone needed to know.

Before long, Leon had his schedule ready and a map of the school in hand to use for tomorrow. He hesitated for a moment when leaving the office and turned around to speak with the counselor, "Is it okay if I can start today?"

"Today? I don't know. You are registered, so I think it would be fine. Take this note with you and show it to your teachers. Don't want them getting confused to why you suddenly showed up." Leon agreed, taking the note in his hand and quickly telling his uncle he will be starting class. Chance was very surprised that the kid decided to stay, but also a little awed. A quick goodbye, Leon went down the hall looking into the map he was given to see what his class would be.

It took him a while to find the classroom and opened the door getting everyone's attention on him. "Uh... Hey." Leon had a faint warmth on his cheeks.

"Can I help you, sir?" Leon quickly explained himself to the teacher and showing the note he was to hand. "You registered here today and now you're starting classes. Let me see your schedule. Hmm... I see why you started today. Though I will let you know that my class won't be so easy."

"Not a problem, sir." The teacher gave the young tabby a grin and sent him to sit in any seat he'd like. The back was mostly taken and was made to pick a seat near the front. Just as he sat down, copy paper and a pen was placed on his desk as the teacher continued on with the lecture.

Looking at the schedule to learn his teacher's name, it would seem that Mr. Bickford was in the middle of discussing electrical currents and resistance. Leon remembered his class discussing it before getting the chance to transfer and didn't have to fear being left behind a little. Even though he had been paying attention, he overheard some of the girls behind him talking about him.

"He's a lot cuter up close." "Shut up... He'll hear you." "You know you're interested too." "Please... Stop it." "Look, you made her blush."

Leon didn't mind the attention he got since he was new to the school. The girls didn't say anything negative about him, but the some of the guys also overheard making them a bit jealous. The whispers became too noticeable that the class was warned with extra homework.

The one thing the tabby didn't like was that he was the main focus again by people that are curious about him. Since I'll be living here, it wouldn't hurt to have some friends, Leon thought. Rechecking his schedule, he noticed the next class is half an hour apart. He thanked his luck for the lunch break and cursing himself for missing out on breakfast.

No sooner, the bell rang for the class to be released. The tabby grabbed his papers and returned the pen handed to him back to Mr. Bickford. "Thanks."

"You'll be needed it, Furlong. One less pen isn't going to hurt me. I do have an extra folder you can use too. Carrying all those papers can get annoying fast." Mr. Bickford flashed the folder to Leon after finding the extra. Leon thanked the teacher again, still very thrown off by the kind gesture.

The hallways were a lot more crowded than Leon was used to. The private school did have many students, but not so much that it covered the halls. Lockers slammed, chatter carried all over, and Leon tried his best to maneuver through like a fish going upstream. Someone pulled on his jacket out of the hoard of students, almost forcefully.

"I told you it was him!"

"I can't... It really is him!"

Leon looked up at the two faces in midst awe and suspense. The tabby quickly remembered the two, embarrassed that they had to rescue him in that mess. "If it isn't Trey and Jackie. Never thought I'd see you guys again. How have you two been?"

"Pretty good. Jackie here has been acting weird all day." Trey, a brown lean tom who the tabby had met in his childhood. Not exactly the smartest kat Leon had ever met, but did look out for him when the need arrived.

"I knew there was a reason for my good vibes. Today is a good day!" Jacqueline, a white feline that Leon had met a year before moving away. She had been by Trey's side since then and the tabby was glad to see that the two were still together. "Things were boring without you."

"Haha! I didn't exactly have a great time on my own either." Leon confessed. The three talked as they caught up during their lunch break. Leon never realized how much he missed his old friends. The solitude he forced himself in really blocked out anyone he knew or dealt with. Trey and Jackie were cheerful and excited that it made Leon smile a lot more than he had in months.

"Are you going to bring it back?" Jackie whispered as she leaned in. Leon lost most of his smile and ears flattened.

"Haven't really-"

"I need that!" The three looked over to the commotion happening just a few feet from them. A larger tom pushed the kid back hard enough to knock him on his back.

"Sit your ass down! I'm only borrowing some money. Jocks need to eat too, ya know." The tom snickered taking all the cash in the wallet.

"That's all I had!"

"Are you yelling back at me, punk?"

"Hey, dumbass," The larger tom growled as he made eye contact with Leon who was walking right up to him, "give the money back. I don't appreciate anyone stealing."

"What are you gonna do? Snitch like a worthless bitch?" The tom and his friends laughed then surrounded Leon.

"Oh, please, fighting you all would be unfair. At least let me tie my arms to my back." The four growled quietly, glaring at the tabby who stood unmoving. The one behind made a lunge for him, which Leon easily stepped away from. The tom to his right made for a punch against the tabby as he got close enough. Leon ducked when he spotted the swing heading toward him. The other tried to grab Leon from behind, but didn't act fast enough on that duck and swift punch.

The bigger tom growled louder and ran up to Leon with his fist ready to make a landing. Again Leon stepped aside, tripped the tom, and had them collide against each other. The large tom got up fast without caring for his friends and stopped as Leon held out a wallet.

"This so called jock had ten dollars to spend. Talk about having no shame. And I bet your mom would be pretty disappointed too. Now, you can return the money or have this adorable note from your mom read out loud. It's up to you, really." The large tom stopped growling and huffed as he gave the wallet back to the kid he had been bullying. Leon threw the wallet back at the jock who managed to catch it like his whole life depended on it. "I knew you'd make the right choice, Shelly-belly."

The lunch room peaked in laughter after hearing the motherly pet name being said aloud. The large tom glared at Leon, expecting to get attacked again, but he stormed off as everyone called him by the embarrassing name and making crying sounds. Leon felt a little bad about putting him out on the spot like that, but the guy was stealing from the kid.

"Thanks," The kid came to him looking a little annoyed, "but you didn't have to go that far."

"You needed help and everyone was just watching. It pissed me off. If I really wanted to embarrass him, I would have said the real name on the note." The tom looked surprised that the name he heard was made up on the spot. "What's your name?"

"Nathan."

"Nice to meet you, Nathan. I hope you and I can get along." Leon shook the tom's hand firmly. The blond tom seemed a bit shy or maybe still flustered from the what just happened. "Say, are you free after school?"

"Me? Yeah..."

"We get to hang out with Leon again!" Jackie cheered as she came up to them. Trey was just behind her heels patting Leon on the back for doing another great job. Nathan didn't know what the tom meant by it, but wondered if he made a good choice going with them.

* * *

After lunch, classes went by quick for Leon as each one kept him busy enough. As the final bell rang, the young tabby made a phone call to his uncle to tell him he will be out with old friends. Chance was arguing about the idea, but then decided to let the kid have some fun. The teens already had a place in mind and told his uncle he'd be picked up there within two hours. The older tabby chuckled a bit in relief seeing that his nephew was doing okay and adjusting well. "Be careful, alright. See ya soon."

"Come on, Leon!" Jackie called out as they walked down the road. Nathan lagged behind them as the three talked to each other. Leon was surprised that the two were still into mangas and anime. Because of them, Leon was a little against the idea of reading them, let alone watching it animated. "What? But anime makes you embrace the story a lot more!"

"I just don't like the idea of watching a silly cartoon for teenagers and adults."

"Watch it, Furlong!" Trey playfully punched the tabby on his arm. "What about you, Nathan?"

"Huh!?" The blond tom snapped out of his world when his name was called, "I... I don't know." Jackie and Trey chuckled at the tom, causing Nathan to blush.

"Don't be so shy. We're not going to bite. Besides, Leon is more the type you have to watch out of." Jackie teased.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leon gave the feline a soft glare before she broke into a laughing fit. "Don't listen to her. She has this odd fantasy of pairing others together."

"Oh, it's not a fantasy. I've seen the way He looks at you."

"Have you kept in touch with Him?" Trey asked. Leon shook his head getting sad looks from the two. "I wonder how He's doing."

"Who?" Nathan was getting more confused and didn't like that he was left out for a moment.

"Oh, my bad, Nathan." Leon apologized.

"Yes. Who is He, I wonder." The four turned to a tom who had been walking up their way. His sly grin gave Leon a bad vibe. "Better question would be, where is He now?"

"And who might you be?" Leon had an angry tone in his voice. The tom was really getting on his nerves.

"He's Ezekiel Guile. I have several classes with him." Nathan said looking more worried than ever.

"That's exactly my name, Ezekiel Guile. And it is a pleasure to meet you, Leon Furlong." Ezekiel stuck out his hand to give a handshake, but Leon ignored the gesture and just huffed a 'hey'. "No need to be so sour. After all, you did just get here and making enemies is a really bad idea."

"How'd the fuck you know that, asshole?"

"Oooh! Scary words! Acting all intimidating isn't going to work on me. And fighting me right now would be pointless. Your little performance in the lunch room was enough to bore me to sleep. Don't tell me your forgot how to kill on instinct?" Ezekiel snickered, getting the tabby all flustered. Leon tried real hard to keep his fists from leaving his side and knocking the tom out.

"I'll be seeing you around school, Leon. Don't disappoint me next time you put up a show." Ezekiel walked right in the way of all four with the last laugh. Nathan just watched Leon as the anger just sat there in one look toward the ground in what looked like pain.

The four kept on walking, not saying a word. When they finally reached the burger shop, Jackie went off to order everyone a milkshake while they talked. Leon stood quiet a little while longer before letting out a sigh, "Ezekiel was something else, huh?"

"Leon, you don't have to pretend like that meant nothing." Nathan gave the tabby a concerned look, "I know how Ezekiel is. He does anything to get in your head and mess with you. That guy isn't exactly the whole school's favorite."

"He's right. We've been in that school long enough to know Ezekiel is really messed up and dangerous." Trey placed a hand on Leon's shoulder, "We know about what happened. It's not your fault."

"Don't want to get on that. I just want to enjoy being back after being gone for so long."

"What happened?" Nathan covered his mouth as the tabby gave him a soft smile. Leon started to laugh harder causing Trey to get worried for a while.

"I'll talk about it when I'm ready, you guys. Not yet." Leon turned his attention to the blond tom, "So, what do you like to do fun?"

Jackie had returned in time when the question was asked and gave everyone their shake. The four picked up the mood as they made small talk. When it was almost time to go, the four threw away their trash and went outside to wait with the tabby before they all went their separate ways.

In the corner of his eye, Leon saw someone familiar walk into the alley just up ahead of them. He jogged to the alley, barely catching the person as they turned the corner again. Leon was sure it was the girl from the train ride the other day.

"Leon...? Are you-hey wait!" Leon ran after the girl and saw her again as she turned another corner. Not wasting any moment, he dashed on and couldn't see her anywhere. Trey, Jackie, and Nathan were right behind him when they finally caught up with him. "Don't run off like that!"

"I thought I just..." Leon turned around to face his friends and saw a figure turn a corner just up ahead. Leon made his way passed his friends and running at a much faster pace and following the figure long enough arrive at a locked door in the end of an alley. Leon was panting hard. He was wondering if he made a wrong turn somewhere, but he followed the figure as she showed up.

"You shouldn't be here, kid." A harsh voice startled the tabby out of his thoughts. A lean enforcer stood right behind him and gave him a nasty look. "Might I guess you're a Furlong?"

"How did you guess that?" Does everyone know who I am, Leon thought.

"Your face makes me think of Chance Furlong. It was hard enough to handle one. Now there are two." The enforcer glared down at the young tabby, "Steele. Be sure to send your...relative my regards. Now get going. You're meddling with Enforcer business."

"Leon!" The tabby heard his friends calling out to him and made his way passed the enforcer. Leon wondered why the guy looked familiar, but decided to let it go as it had nothing to do with him. After finding his friends, he apologized again for acting weird. The tabby didn't want to tell them about the girl, and hoped he could meet her again.

When they all emerged out of the alley, Chance was already there waiting on his nephew to go home. His uncle asked why they went into the alley and his friends were wondering why also. Leon just told them he thought he saw someone suspicious, but found no one at all.

"If it was someone suspicious, just leave it to the enforcers." Chance's words made Leon worried and wondered if the girl was caught by that Steele guy he met earlier. Hoping he was wrong, Leon said goodbye to his friends and went on with Chance.

The ride back was lively as the two talked about their day. Chance had been wondering all day why Leon wanted to come back, but he had a feeling what the answer was though asked anyway. Leon was thrown off by his uncle wanting to know, but said nothing. The young tabby just smiled happily and looked out the window as the sun started to set.

* * *

"Hey, Boss, it's Steele. We might have gotten a problem on our hands. The kid is back. Want me to take care of it? … Alright. I'll keep an eye on the brat."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Bite of a Bug

The weekend had finally came to an end as the young tabby dressed himself as confidently as he could for Monday. After his second day at the new school, he had gotten a bit out of focus during his theater class. It wasn't the role that was throwing him off or even the sight of his classmates. Leon couldn't stop thinking about Elizabeth Feral who he had the chance to perform with on his very first morning.

Her name purred in his mind as his face flushed slightly, thinking about trying his hand on asking her out. It was during the weekend Leon had went out shopping with his uncle to pick out new clothes that he would wear on everyday to outgoing occasions. Though his primary focus was to impress Elizabeth, he had come up of a few things to say to her when he had the green light.

Chance was ready to go and Leon was making sure he wasn't going to be late that morning so he could meet her. Mornings usually didn't have as many students until the time for classes started. Chance had noticed the excitement radiating out the young tabby that it made him smile along the drive. Nothing was said between the two until he dropped him off and wished Leon good luck, getting a glare in return.

Leon had hoped that Elizabeth came to school early. Both had to rehearse their lines for the class performance project they had started the week before Leon arrived. He felt a little bad for being placed so suddenly, but the tabby had worked well under pressure when it came to acting and adapted rather quick into the new role.

The classroom door was unlocked as promised by their teacher and Leon slipped right in. Someone was already there, but it wasn't Elizabeth. The tabby fetched out his script, joining his other partner to practice the scene they had together. The two practiced, gave each other notes on what they need to work on, and began the scene again from the beginning.

The project they chose to perform was the first act of a comedy they found interesting. Leon was a little skeptic about it since he wasn't exactly into comedy. He was given the role of a man in his late 40s going through midlife crisis after losing his job as the town they live in goes under. Least the say, he was making it hard for his buddy to stay focused.

"Think you can help me with my other scene?"

"Sure, I'll read Liz's lines and you take it from there." The tom smiled gently as they turned back to Leon's first line, leaving the tabby on "stage" for the moment. There were many reasons why the tabby didn't like comedy. First and foremost was how unexpected it would be.

"Frankie, we got any Preparation H?"

"Top left-hand drawer."

"Thank you, Puddin'." Leon begins to imagine looking through a drawer, then applying the invisible cream under his eyes.

"You find it, Dub?"

Turned away from an imaginary Frankie, "Absolutely, Sugar Bear. Thanks so much."

"Good. Now, get up and let me put this laundry away."

"Tell you what, leave it here and I'll take care of if."

"Right. You've never put laundry away in your life. Now, just get up and I'll do it-" Elizabeth picked up her line as she entered the classroom making her way to the tabby, in shock at after looking at his face, "You know, Dub, you might want to reread the instructions on how you're supposed to use that stuff."

"No, now... um, I came up with this idea because...um...I need to change the oil in the Chevy and it's dark in the garage, so I thought putting white stuff under my eyes would...draw the light and help me see. You know, football players put black under their eyes to cut the light and this is kinda the...opposite thing."

The warning bell had rung and the noise was picking up from the halls no sooner when it stopped. Elizabeth giggled at the stop of their lines and apologized for arriving late. Leon thought it was now or never before anyone else came in the classroom to interrupt them.

"Hey, Elizabeth, I was...wondering if you'd-"

"Sure. I know you came in a little late. I'd be glad to help you practice. We have to get your lines ready for when we practice the final scene together." Elizabeth smiled kindly and went to take her seat. The tabby was thrown off by the idea of what was happening.

"No, I was-"

"You were doing great. I want this to go well like everyone else on the group. Be here after school and we'll pick up from the beginning again."

Leon stood there dumbfounded by the sudden change of events. It wasn't what he hoped for, but it would give him the moment to be alone. The tabby had a silly grin on his face, telling himself a change of plans wasn't so bad once he asked her.

* * *

The morning went by really slow. Leon checking the time to see if anything had passed only to be disappointed by the few minute change. He tried to focus on his classwork, paid close attention by taking detailed notes, and finally the bell for lunch came around. Leon mentally cheered for the chance to relax with his friends, hoping to get any tips about Elizabeth.

The second he sat at the table with Trey and Nathan Leon stopped their conversation, "I need to know a little bit about Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth Feral? Why do you want to know about her?" Trey was a little confused to the sudden topic. "Everyone knows she's the niece of the Commander, Ulysses Feral. I even herd she's been in several plays during my time here in school."

"I know those things. I want to know what she likes. If I have a shot at asking her out."

"You're gonna ask out Elizabeth Feral!?" Nathan yelled in astonishment, getting everyone's attention. Most of the guys around them seemed very impressed for some odd reason and cheered Leon good luck.

"What was that about?"

"You seriously don't know? Elizabeth Feral is the hardest girl to ever ask out. Most cases she will turn you down for being so straight forward and when you try to impress her, she's oblivious to it. I've seen a lot of guys try again and again to go out with her. None of them had ever got a yes, I believe." Nathan explained.

That would completely explain the confusing conversation from that morning. Elizabeth wasn't even interested or thought he was going to ask her out. Leon began to think really hard in seeing if he could make a game plan with the information he had gotten. So far, it's all still too vague to guess, he thought.

"What did others guys try to do?"

"Um... Other than going up to her, I've seen someone tried to give her chocolates on Valentine's and on her birthday. One guy played a song to her, but she only thanked him for flattering her. Another even made a lunch big enough for the two, but she turned him down by explaining she already had her own lunch. Hmm... I can't of anything else."

Leon's hope for asking was beginning to plummet. He had at least thought there as a slim chance that he could get him the opportunity. And something struck the tabby like lightning. "Nathan, how many were those guys from theater?"

"I don't think any of the guys in theater have bothered asking her out. They're all friends and probably already know they can't date her. Most guys that try are jocks and regular guys." Leon's green light shone and grinned to himself. He had to think of a plan quick so he could have a chance when he had to go practice after school with Elizabeth.

Grabbing a quick bite to eat, he began to make notes on what he would do. First he had written down the information Nathan had told him, a little bit about Elizabeth's personality, and then the things she liked. All he had was performing written down. Nothing else came to mind as the time went by. Even during his classes he thought about what other activities she liked or did.

Then Leon realized what he was doing was ridiculous to come up with a plan to pin Elizabeth. He wasn't going to give up, but decided to just try the "stranger meets stranger" idea. "And she did say I am new here. Maybe she would get curious about me if I played it cool."

The final bell rang. Leon put his belongings in his bag, made his way down the hall toward the theater room, and found Elizabeth there cleaning up the small stage. "Good, you came. Help me move these out of the way. I already told the director we would be here while he goes to attend the theater club."

"A whole club session, huh? That's plenty of time to practice my lines."

"At least you're taking this seriously. I was honestly starting to get my doubts about meeting you alone here." Leon chuckled sheepishly.

The two moved the props that were left by the last class during their focus to go home. Elizabeth found it frustrating that she and her friends had to clean up the mess during their mornings when they practiced. Leon didn't realize how dedicated the girl was to her hobby, if she planned to make acting her line of work.

"Do you wish to get into acting after high school?" Leon asked. The question really surprised her that she stopped.

"I never gave it much thought. I like acting because it's fun and a lot of hard work. Acting isn't the only thing I'm good at." Elizabeth said, blushing to herself as she continued to clean. Leon was glad he was able to make a little progress. Leaving the conversation be, the tabby quickly picked up his pace to remove the bigger props out of the way to give them the space they needed.

They sighed, grabbed their script without wasting any more time and flipped to their scene. Leon started out with his line as usual, repeating the same actions and movements. In his mind he pictured himself as the man in the play, feeling the frustration of his age and attempts to look and behave younger.

Elizabeth matched with his tempo, if not too well of being the sarcastic wife who isn't go bother with dealing the husband's sudden crises. The older tom trying to explain himself while his wife didn't buy into the obvious lie. The wife going on about the husband's aunt coming to visit and the tom not liking that his aunt was coming bringing back painful memories. Then suddenly changing their focus to the their two never seen twins causing a racket in the yard that made the tom leave to scold them.

"I'll have your hides if you boys are foolin' with my good lawn mower! Y'all already burned out my leaf blower tryin' to round up them squirrels!" Elizabeth was left alone on the small stage.

"Mama Eula, I don't know how much of this you've been watching, but I'm wondering if it looks as ridiculous from up there as it does from down there. Dub swears being unemployed for the last eight months hasn't affected him, but he's been acting so weird, I honestly think he's starting to lose his grasp on reality. And then there's the twins, Mama, those... Dang it..." Elizabeth lost her focus trying to keep up her accent.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Pick up from your last line."

The two continued to practice their lines, made the same actions and tone of voice. When Elizabeth's final line came around, she'd start to lose her southern accent more obviously to where she needed a break. Leon wondered if it was his fault for throwing off the girl with his sudden question. He still wanted to know more about her, but she seemed so stressed out having the play go well.

"Black."

"Excuse me?" Elizabeth turned to tabby who was staring at the floor.

"My favorite color is black. Broke my arm twice. The second time was from a fight in my old school. I have a great fear of ghosts. Love horror movies though. I have a tough time eating onions if they're in big obvious chunks. And I've only been in two school plays."

"You lost me, Leon."

"I see you're trying too hard and stressing out about this play. If it was because I asked that question, I'm really sorry about that. There's still plenty of time to practice our lines, Elizabeth. Don't rush yourself or you'll mess up for sure."

"Thanks," Elizabeth smiled at the tabby with a faint blush, "just call me Liz. Elizabeth is too formal."

"Formal, huh? Well, Liz does sound more natural. It's pretty cute." Leon said, quickly sinking his face into the script for having that last part slip out. The tabby yelled at himself in his mind for coming on a little too much and making her suspicious.

Liz giggled quietly watching Leon embarrass himself. She felt a little comfortable around him now since they began to practice. The feline never realized how much stress she had put on herself trying to stay calm and collected while getting the lines right.

"My favorite color is blue. Scared of heights and really high places. Horror is okay, but still watchable. I'm more for the action movies. I like to eat out a lot at restaurants and fast foods, which my friends wonder how I still look the same. My sister is the one that keeps me fit when we go to gym together. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"None. I'm an only child. But I do have a step-cousin who I see as a little brother. I also I have another cousin who's a lot older than me, but I haven't seen him in several years." Leon explained more about his family that he knew about personally.

"Wow. You guys have such a small group and it's still hard to get together. My family is pretty big that I try to find ways on avoiding them. I'm only comfortable with my older sister whenever our family get together. My grandparents had six kids and my uncle being the oldest of them all. My dad is the youngest and second son. I have a hard time imagining my uncle dealing with all four of my aunts." Liz smiled, earning a chuckle from Leon.

The two talked more about each other to pass the time relaxing until they realized they had to go. Leon helped Liz up from their sitting position, grabbed their belongings, and walked out of school making plans on their next practice session.

Leon suggested the idea of having all their actors together for practice to see what they can help each other on. It was also a way to have them all hang out and get to know each other to build teamwork, so nobody would feel stressed out from overworking. Liz liked the idea, telling the tabby she would get the word out to them once she got home.

"Do you have a ride?" Leon asked as Liz began to walk down the sidewalk.

"No, I take the transit home. My sister's job is way too out of the way for her to drop me off since I live in the city."

"Living out that far must be rough. Be careful out there." Liz nodded waving goodbye. The tabby felt more excited that he managed to get Liz to at least get to know him as a friend. He wanted to keep seeing her as much as he could to keep her relaxed as they worked together. It made Leon feel a lot happier that he could enjoy something with someone for once that could be in the same tempo.

Then his thoughts went to what would happen when their project was over. He wondered if they would still be talking with each other. Leon didn't want to think about that and tried hard to keep them away from bothering him. His dinner didn't taste well, snapped at his uncle for asking too many questions about his day, couldn't figure out simple answers to his assignments, and found difficulty finding a comfortable position on the old lumpy couch.

Leon hadn't felt that much dread since his copping over his father. On top of that, confusion. Why am I so depressed, he thought. The night air cooling the small living room enough for him to relax just a bit. He didn't like the feeling he was getting and hoped to sleep it off as best as he could, but the need for it was taking its time.

After a while, he had gone to sleep. Woke up several hours later, went to school, had a practice session with the others, and his dread was gone when got to see Liz again. The motivation he lacked all day seemed to have returned by her smile. But the dread came back no sooner he was away from her. Completely washing away the good mood he had for the past two hours of practice.

The tabby was angrier. More irritable than he was the day before he had to see her walk home. Skipped dinner since he had no appetite to eat a single thing, avoided the assignments, and went straight to sleep. It was clockwork for Leon to go straight to bed once he got home from school with a sour mood. His behavior was getting to the point that Chance had to step in and console the young tabby until they got into an argument.

Leon had never thought he would start trouble for his uncle so early after coming back. Storming out wasn't really a good impression he wanted to leave, but he really wanted to be alone with his dark clouds. It was the weekend and Leon knew he couldn't see her for the next couple days, wondering if she was thinking about him.

"You look like shit." Chance startled the tabby. "Didn't have to run out, you know."

"Came to keep yelling at me?"

"I came to tell you that your friend called. A Miss Elizabeth Feral, to be exact." Chance held out the cell phone the tabby thought he had with him. "She wanted to know if you were doing okay since you've been acting weird at school. If you were getting sick or something."

"She noticed?" Leon asked, more to himself than to his uncle.

"That explains why you're 'totally off your rocker'. You haven't really noticed yourself either, huh?" The young tabby was still stuck on that first part his uncle said to him with a droll southern accent.

"D-Did you read my script!?"

"Yeah. It was on the table where you left it. I didn't know you were into theater."

"First my mom and now you! Doesn't ANYONE have a sense of privacy!? It's not what you think! I-I didn't have any other elective to choose from! That's it!" The tabby kept on ranting about his class until Chance knocked him on the head.

"I don't care. Jake did it too in high school, so it's not all new to me. But what I really want you to know is that you'll be fine. You just have it real bad right now. And I mean really bad."

"You don't have to put more weight on my foul mood." Leon huffed. Chance chuckled at the misunderstanding between the two of them.

"You don't like being away from her, do you?" Leon peered an eye toward his uncle. "Can't stop thinking about her. Feel a lot better and calmer once you get to see her. If I noticed a lot sooner, I would have opened this conversation. What you're feeling is called a bite. It's a bit of a flight of fancy but there's this bug, tiny beyond what our eyes can even see, and it flies around, sometimes crawling, to give a bite when it senses doubt and fear. You can't feel the bite, but you sure can feel what the bite does after a while. Your heart starts to feel heavy, irritation, anxiety, depression from being away from the very person you want to be with. But when you are with that other person, you feel free. All those emotions just seem to disappear for the moment. The confusion sets in once those emotions come back. But it's not something to worry about. It just means you're in love and the bug bit you to acknowledge it and never doubt yourself."

"So...an imaginary bug bit me to let me know I am in love. Couldn't you have just said that instead of making up that painfully sappy bullshit."

"You got into an attitude for no reason, so I came up something to punish you with. But you know I'm right. All you're doing is sitting around waiting for something to happen." Chance got up from sitting next to his nephew and stretched. Leon sunk even further into himself; covering his face within his arms pulling as he sat. "Oh, and that play you're doing, really funny stuff."

Leon hesitated as he tried to call Liz back, but decided to send her a text instead. The two had never sent each other messages, so the tabby felt a little awkward having to and hoped that he wasn't interrupting her. After sending his text he waited for a while, thinking about what his uncle had said to him. Sure, Leon did find Liz attractive and wanted to go out with her. He just never thought he would feel so strongly over anyone like he was with Liz.

The light vibration made the tabby act on the reply. The phone seemed to work a lot slower as he opened up the new text, the screen loading up with a similar buffer circle. Liz's text box had appeared right under his after a couple seconds.

**[Liz]Are you feeling well?**

**[Leon]I'm fine. Sorry I worried you.**

**[Liz]It's okay. Thought you were getting nervous.**

**[Leon]I hardly get nervous. I know we're ready for monday.**

**[Liz]Still, you seemed really out of it the past couple days.**

**[Leon]You could say I was. Pretty much my fault for being that way.**

**[Liz]Is something wrong?**

Leon didn't know how to reply to the question. Nothing was bothering him except that he was upset that he wasn't with her. He couldn't exactly tell her that for it would probably make things awkward between them. Texting Liz was enough to sedate his need to talk to her.

**[Leon]I don't know.**

**[Leon]Are you free tomorrow?**

There was a pause after Leon had sent his message. He had wondered if he had asked a bit too soon and mad Liz nervous.

**[Liz]I won't be so busy tomorrow.**

A gentle smile spread across the tabby's face.

**[Leon]Alright. Want to get a bite somewhere? It'll be on me.**

**[Liz]Sure. What do you have in mind?**

Leon suggested a nearby place he had the chance to go with his uncle the weekend before. It as a nice place with good food, great service, and the price was right for two. Liz seemed to know which restaurant the tabby was talking about, bringing a little hope within the tabby.

**[Liz]So I'll meet you at the near the platform when I get there. It would be at least ten minutes by train.**

**[Leon]I will be there. See you tomorrow then.**

* * *

Throughout the night Leon was restless and a bit excited to had made the plan on asking her out. He felt a lot calmer once he had that awful dread weighing him down completely off from his shoulders. Leon didn't talk much about the conversation with his uncle, but he did apologize for the way he acted. Chance laughed it off by wishing his nephew good luck on his date after his experience working with Feral.

Time still seemed to lag around him, but the couch felt strangely softer as he rolled around trying to sleep. Morning finally came around like a blink of an eye. Not knowing exactly when he fell asleep, he looked at the time noting he had two hours until one o'clock.

He had at least thought his uncle would wake him up early to get up to watch cartoons or help in the garage. Leon shrugged it off, got his clothes picked out, and took a shower like any normal day. But it still felt a little off. The silence was making the tabby nervous. Not once in his life had he thought it would be this quiet in a loud salvage yard with constant noise of tools and junk being thrown around.

After getting dressed, Leon went to check down in the garage to find nobody there at all. Going outside, the truck that Chance drove was still there and so was the tow truck. He continued to look around the salvage yard to find not a single trace of anyone or anything. Then a thought came to his mind. Leon began to suspect that his uncle was playing a prank on him, hiding somewhere to jump out and mess with him again like the night before.

Deciding not to take any chances, he sent a quick text to his uncle that he was going to be out for a while and walked down the lightly busy town. The platform they planed to meet was not very far, but it took Leon about half an hour to get there. He was starting to get a little hungry since he hadn't had time to eat something quick when searching for his uncle and Jake.

There was a loud commotion coming from further into the city. Enforcers raced their way toward the scene in lightning speed, amazed at how quick they reacted. Leon began to wonder what exactly was going on down over there.

The announcement began to warn passengers of the arriving train as they could see it in the distance. Leon was starting to get a little nervous as it screeched to halt, opening its doors letting out several riders as new ones got in. He spotted Liz from the crowd, calling out to her as he made his way.

"Hey. How was the ride getting here?"

"The same as usual. Caught an early ride getting here when I made it." Liz smiled, her cheeks hinting a faint blush. Leon couldn't stop blushing himself and tried to make himself stop. Liz wore a faint yellow spring dress that went a little bit under her knees, light blue jeans, and a short jean jacket.

"You look great." Leon said, the young feline blushing just a bit more noticeable. "Um...let's get going." Liz nodded and followed right beside the tabby.

The two felt really awkward as they walked on side by side. Leon didn't really know what else to say or even do at the matter. Liz kept her posture straight, looked forward, and even avoided making eye contact. He was beginning to think he was wasting her time coming out here.

"I-I'm sorry I dragged you out here."

"No, don't apologize." Liz hesitated for a moment, "I've...never hung out with a boy my age before on my own. This is all new to me. I felt like I overdressed to meet you, but when you said I looked good, it...um..."

"Maybe we both got bit..."

"Huh? Did you say something?" Leon waved it off and continued on their way.

They picked up their conversation slowly by small talk until they reached the restaurant. It wasn't anything fancy, but the two seemed at peace with the mediocre decor of the east. Their selections were great, Liz thanking Leon with the small recommendation on the seafood. Leon started to feel like himself once things were going well and Liz stopped being nervous around him.

Their conversation picked up by talking a little bit more about themselves. It was difficult trying to dig something up, but Leon managed to tell her something embarrassing that once happened to him. It wasn't too embarrassing of a story though Liz seemed to enjoy it nonetheless. Liz shared one of hers that her sister still teases her about. Leon thought it was cute that Liz still got a little flustered when telling her story.

Then there was a short silence between them. Their eyes met for a moment before they looked away blushing brighter than normal. If the waiter had not come around the give Leon the check, the silence would have been a lot more awkward for the two. Leon paid for their meal, tipped them for their service, and were on their way.

The walk back to the platform was silent, yet they were calm being together. Even if the two said nothing, they could tell they had a great time. It was almost natural as they walked side by side this time. Soon they were at the platform with the train making a stop just in time for Liz to go.

"Thanks for today, Leon. I really enjoyed it."

"Yeah... I had fun. Maybe we can go out again another time."

"Hit me up, okay. I'll see you at school Monday and be ready to give it your all." Liz waved goodbye as she got on the train. Leon watched the doors close, slowly picking up speed away from him.

Leon kept a gentle smile as he thought about Liz on the way back home. Her voice was still sang in his ears, smile imprinted in his mind, and her eyes made his cheeks heat up. If the tabby wasn't working on looking like the luckiest guy in the world, everyone would see the skip in his step and tail lashing with excitement.

Back home, Leon noticed the small television was on in the garage with a sick looking monster flick showing. When he realized it was actually the news, he couldn't believe some blob thing was attacking the city park in broad daylight. He tried calling out to his uncle and Jake to check it out, but nobody answered or came running down. Another quick search around the house, Leon found it left empty again.

"Where the hell are they?"


	3. Chapter 3

_He's standing right in your shoes_

_And you feel like you're in his too_

_When did he show up right next to you_

_How strange that you should only notice now_

_The hero you thought was gone_

_Distant memory of a past life_

_He's back in force and he's leading the way_

_Has something changed_

_It's an inner strength you find hard to define_

_But now_

_It's here somehow_

_Maybe this is your_

_Next Chance to Move On_

_Rise up with the Dawn_

_Next stop could be your big win_

_It's right there_

_For you to grab your_

_Next Chance to become_

_Whatever you want_

_Next Chance to Move On_

_Next Chance to find out where you belong_

"Way to go, Liz." Leon cheered. Both had been rehearsing for a while in the auditorium for their next project on musicals. Each student had to perform a solo and a group number in order to obtain a passing grade. It was decided that would be their upcoming final of the school year.

"Did I really do okay?"

"You did an amazing job." Liz and Leon both turned. In the doorway of the auditorium stood a tom with a bicker helmet between his arm and hip. "Didn't think I'd ever see you prancing around plays."

"Edge?"

**Chapter 3: Stupid, Show Me Around.**

Leon took both Edge and Liz to the burger shop that he was first taken to. The tabby was still in shock seeing his old friend again out of the blue. "So how did you find me?"

"It wasn't that hard. Found Trey and told me about you the instant he had the chance." Edge laughed. "I swear, that was the very first good news I had in the longest time."

"How do you you two know each other? Don't get the wrong idea, but you two have a bit of an age gap." Liz wondered since she had just meet Leon just a couple weeks ago. The tabby was just a mystery to her since Leon rarely talked much about his past life in Megakat.

"Well, I used to work as a security guard down at Pumadyne. This kid's father was a big notch professor there and I sometimes ran into him causing all sorts of trouble. We weren't exactly each others favorite at the time, but when you really try too hard to make a prank, you tend to start crying for help and get saved."

"I didn't think I would slip off the railing... Give me a break." Leon sighed. "Besides, I did stop being a little brat after that."

"Leon started to follow me around and hiding whenever I gave him glances. The kid was trying to bring himself to thank me personally for saving him from dying. Though...didn't you slip the railing on the first floor?"

"I was seven!" Liz giggled from the tabby's display. She never guessed anything like would have happened.

"Still, how did Pumadyne let a kid walk around their facility so willingly?" Liz asked again.

"I had my own badge. It wasn't like everyone else since mine couldn't open any doors except for my dad's office." Leon explained. "Edge started to show me around the facilities he's been to as a kid and I stood with him the entire time. As the years went by, he began to show me the basic enforcer training he had to do when I was old enough to do them. Then...he was..."

"I was fired from Pumadyne for possession of an illegal narcotic. It's pretty much harmless and some of the staff have started thinking that I was offering to a minor. Ended up losing my job and my position in the enforcers."

"I see..." Liz said softly. "Then what have you been-oh, hold on." Her phone began to ring. With a quick motion, she got up to answer her call in private.

"She seems nice."

"Y-You think so...?" Leon blushed. He took a sip of his milkshake hoping it would be enough to cool off the heat on his cheeks.

"Are you going to tell her? It sounded like she was going to ask what I did after I was fired?"

"No. I don't plan on telling anyone." The silence between them made it heavy and the milkshake taste plain. "I just want to forget it ever happened."

Liz returned, picking up her stuff and milkshake. "Sorry, I got to go. I'll see you at practice Leon. It was nice meeting you, Edge."

"Huh? Wait?"

"Can't. It's a family thing. Tell you about it later." Liz rushed on her way out of the burger shop and out of sight. Leon's ears fell flat seeing her go in such a hurry.

"I think I'll go home too." Leon got up with his backpack already on him.

"You live alone?"

"No. I live with my uncle until I can live on my own. Gonna finish school and then find a job to get my own place." Leon walked off waving back at Edge. He accidentally bumped into somebody who stumbled to the floor. "Ah! I'm sorry. I wasn't lo-hey, you're..."

"Moron. Don't stand there. Help me up." The tabby quickly acted and lifted her up. She huffed as she put on her cap again and adjusted her bag around her shoulders.

"Sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Whatever. Don't be so stupid next time." The girl huffed again as woman walked up behind her.

"Please excuse her. I am sure she does not mean any harm. My name is Agatha." The woman said.

"Are you her mother?" Leon asked.

"Not exactly. You can say I welcome runaways into my home. I found her wondering around the streets without any specific destination, so I brought her to stay with me. Her name is Shawna and she is-"

"Shut up. Don't tell him more than he needs to know." Shawna interrupted. The woman only smiled calmly and turned her attention back to the tabby.

"As you can see, she is a bit of a handful. She seemed suffocated in her room so I had brought her out to give her some time to wonder and breath a little more. If it wouldn't be so much trouble, could you show her around? I am positive that meeting each other was not just a trick of fate." Leon was a little confused by what Agatha meant by it, but he agreed to showing Shawna around. "Please, be good to her." The woman left with a smile.

"If you're not going home just yet, I'll tag along." Edge took stuck his hand out toward the young girl, "Nice to meet you, Shawna."

"Who's this old timer? Do you know him?" Edge was thrown off by the question that he couldn't even introduce himself.

"Oh, I see what you mean." Leon agreed with her. Edge began to growl to himself, wishing he had just left. "I don't really know where to go, but if you're new to Megakat, I think I'll take you downtown. Hey, Edge, you think you can help us?"

"Not really. I used my bike to get here. It won't be a good idea for us three on it."

"I'm bored. This is stupid. Hey. Get me some ice cream. I want chocolate mint, strawberry, and raspberry in that order from top to bottom." Shawna commanded as she went to take a seat in one of the tables. Leon reluctantly did what she asked and went for the ice cream. The time it took to get the treat, Leon remembered that her attitude was the same when he first met her. When Leon returned, Shawna seemed impressed that he actually did bring her ice cream. "Wow. And in the right order too. Nice job."

"Okay, I got your ice cream. Is there anywhere you would like to go?" Leon asked. Shawna focused on her ice cream. She seemed to have ignored him in spite of receiving the treat. The tabby was starting to feel a little awkward waiting on her and Edge was getting agitated. "Oh, thanks for helping me when I fell at the station."

"What station?"

"The train station we both came from not so long ago."

"You lost me."

"You don't remember?" Leon's words seemed to have bothered her. Shawna looked away lowering her ice cream.

"I don't remember anything. Who I am. Where I came from. Not even my memories. Shawna is just a name Agatha gave me. She said it would be difficult to go around without a name." Leon felt bad asking the question.

"Hey. Come with me." Leon took Shawna by her hand and lead her out the burger shop. Edge was just behind them asking where they were going, but got nothing out of the tabby. Shawna tried to loosen her hand free from Leon's grip, yet she wasn't too eager to let go either.

After a while, Leon had brought Shawna to a park. Leon didn't stop there and continued to lead her through the park until he came to the large rock formation close to the center. "Come on, we still have to get on top."

"Wait! You're gonna end up hurting yourselves."

"Don't be such an old timer." Leon laughed getting the same reaction from before.

"Fine. See if I'll catch any of you two when you fall." Leon chuckled as he began to climb up the rock. The tabby helped Shawna climb on the way up and made sure she grabbed on to the right ledges. Once Leon was able to get Shawna on top, he pointed straight toward the city.

Shawna was amazed at how much she could see. The neighborhood bordering the city as it's tall building reflected the setting sun's light. A gentle breeze caressed her cheeks.

"Twinkling lights of a setting sun. Bringing night from a day that's done. Her struggling heart to be set free within the soothing night." Shawna spoke softly under her breath. She turned, noticed Leon had been looking at her and began to blush. "I-It's not a poem! I was just setting my heart free! Don't eavesdrop on people."

"It was nice." Leon said. He smiled softly which only made Shawna blush even more.

"Stupidjerkyousuck!" Shawna said. She looked back at the city and was able to calm down rather quick. "Why does this feel so familiar?"

"Do you remember something?"

"No. It's just a feeling." There was silence between them. "Are you really going to show me around?"

"I did say I was. Though it is a little late to go anywhere now."

"You're weird." Another silence. "Thanks. Please show me around." Both Leon and Shawna soon started to climb back down where Edge had been waiting. The familiar acrid scent eased the tabby a bit, but Shawna covered her nose to block the strong smell. Leon began to talk a little bit about himself while they took her back to Agetha's home.

* * *

Back at the garage, Leon sat in the small kitchen focusing on his homework as best as he could. He couldn't stop thinking about Shawna and what she had gone through without a single hint of her memories. Then the tabby wondered if it was really okay with him to even help her when he had no idea how to or if he was even helping her at all.

"Having trouble there?"

"Not really, Jake. I just can't focus."

"You can't slack off now. It's barely Tuesday. Just another month of school and you'll be in summer break. By the way, who was that guy you came with today?" Leon perked his ears and thought a change in subject would be good for him.

"His name is Edge. Used to work as a security guard at Pumadyne while my dad did too. We met and became good friends during the time I could hang with him."

"I see." Jake leaned forward, peeking on the assignment the young tabby had been given. "It's blank. You sure you just can't focus? How long have you been sitting here?"

Leon laughed nervously noticing he had nothing done himself. Is there any harm in telling Jake, Leon thought. An idea came to him, "How do you think someone gets their memories back?"

"Huh? Is that what's bothering you? Well," Jake began, "I don't really know if it's possible to get memories back. Maybe if you go somewhere that seems familiar or have a hint to go with, it might trigger something. But most cases, Amnesia is pretty tricky. Are you having trouble with your memories?"

"No... I was just wondering." Leon waved it off as a conversation. He realized how quiet it had been that Leon was starting to wonder where his uncle could be. Usually Chance would have been the one pestering him and not exactly the same way Jake does.

The rest of the night was peaceful for once without the constant pestering. Leon hardly talked to Jake since he arrived and having the chance to get to know him a little better was something he had been trying to do. Though Jake mostly wanted to know more about Edge, he enjoyed the conversation and was able to get some help to finish the homework Leon had planned to complete the next morning before class.

* * *

Classes went by slowly for the tabby. The day was pretty brutal with unexpected quizzes he had not been ready for, but he thought he did okay in some. Ever since he had came to the school, he had slacked off a little too much from the strict study sessions from his old one. Plus Leon was really enjoying the new theater class with the addition of having to meet Liz there.

Unfortunately, today wasn't one of those lucky days. "Elizabeth won't be here for a couple days. She called us and said we won't be practicing until she comes back and to take some time off. Honestly, what's up with that?" A female classmate said.

"Can't be helped. You did hear about what happened to her uncle, right? Oh, Leon." The tom just noticed him in the classroom. "Why are you here? Didn't you get Liz's text? We don't have practice today, so you can go home early. We'll clean up here."

Leon had nothing to argue against it and decided to leave them be. Once outside the school, he pulled out his phone, found the unread text from the night before, and read it with the exact same message he had just been told. There was no hint to why she would be gone, but he was really worried about Liz. The tabby thought about asking what was wrong, but he felt he would be too intrusive to something he had nothing to do with.

"Since I have nothing better to do," Leon put away his phone. The tabby made his way down the seemingly familiar streets until the right road came around. No later he had arrived at the home he had dropped off Shawna.

He went to knock, but the door flew open as another tom made his way out in a rush. Leon was startled for a while before he regained his composure, walked in and met up with Agatha in the living room. "Welcome. Are you here for Shawna?"

"Yes, ma'am. Is she home?"

"Not at the moment. I sent her out on an errand. She should be here soon."

"An errand?"

"...Oh, please don't be concerned. This errand is, of course, pertaining to those who reside within the home. I would never allow her to roam the streets freely by herself." Leon noticed a piece of paper on the floor. "Oh... What is that? Shawna must have dropped it."

Leon picked it up and noticed her given name on the bottom page. "Maybe I should return this to her."

"Waaaah! Wait, nooooo!" Shawna ran in snatching the piece of paper from Leon's hand. "What are you doing!? I mean... What are you doing!?...Did you look?"

"Maybe I did."

"...! StupidIhateyousneakyjerkyoubully! Were you voted the official Asshole of Assholevania!?" Shawna was blushing furiously. "Just... Just forget this happened! All of it! I'm hypnotizing you now! Sleep, sleep! You didn't see anything! Now, wake up!"

"That is quite an interesting reaction. Is what is in the paper really that embarrassing?" Agatha asked. "...Excuse us. Now, once again, welcome."

"Welcome, my butt... That was close." Shawna sighed.

"If you are going to take Shawna with you, please be sure to be back by curfew."

Shawna agreed to go out with Leon even after her little display. Along their walk, Shawna had stood quiet and distant from the tabby. He thought she was waiting for him to say something, but his attempts only made her more and more silent.

"Are you hungry?"

"I guess." Shawna finally spoke. Leon didn't want to take her back to the burger shop since it wasn't a new place to show her. He looked around the area they were at and he noticed a small shop just off in the distance. When they got closer, the smell of cooked beef and spices filled the air.

"Welcome, you two. Care for a steak-skewer?"

"We're eating here? Okay. One please." Shawna asked.

"Alright. That'll be $2.30, miss."

"Oh. Um..." Shawna stood before the guy a little confused.

"Do you want me to pay for it?"

"Huh!? You have money? That's awesome. You're awesome." Shawna smiled excitedly with being able to try something new. Leon made for his wallet, but then caught someone familiar walking down the road.

"Hey, Nathan."

"Leon? You eat here too? I didn't know you knew about this place since it's a pretty small shop." Nathan saw Shawna standing next to the tabby and introduce himself to her. "Since I'm eating here too, why don't I pay for us three. I still owe you from last time at the burger shop."

"He's going to pay? Is that okay?" Shawna started to fidgeted.

"No worries. I had a little extra cash saved up from work. Sir, three steak-skewers, please!" Nathan passed by Shawna and Leon to pay the shop owner. Shawna still felt a little uncomfortable having him pay for the meal when Leon had offered to begin with.

"Is this...really okay?"

"He said not to worry. Maybe he's excited to be able to hang with us." Leon said. The smile he gave her slightly reassured her enough to take the meal as they sat down the picnic bench nearby. The three made small talk while Leon got to know Shawna a little more. "So, how did you think of the steak-skewer?"

"It was dry and stiff. It got cold really quick. It was delicious."

"So you enjoyed it... Didn't sound like you did at first." Nathan laughed nervously.

"Is steak short for something?"

"It's short for beefsteak." Leon said.

"Beefsteak? If you remove beef from the word, then you wouldn't know what kind of steak this is. It would be easier to understand what the meat is if it was call fsteakskewers." Shawna explained.

"I...don't think anyone would say that." Nathan sighed. "She's certainly a strange girl. Then again, any friend of yours I met have been strange on their own way." Leon laughed at Nathan's thought about his friends. Though he had to admit Nathan wasn't wrong. "I got to go. It was nice meeting you Shawna. Hope we can meet again."

Shawna watched the blond tom walk from the direction he first came from. She turned her attention back to the tabby with a faint smile. "He's nice."

"Yeah, he is."

"I was wondering. He wasn't like that at first, right? Nathan seemed more open around you."

"More opened? Well, I did meet him just a few weeks ago. Maybe he has gotten comfortable around me." Leon was happy thinking that Nathan could trust him just a little ever since he helped him out. There were still some things he didn't know about Nathan since the tom kept a little quiet about his personal life.

"Can we go back? To that spot in the park."

Leon agreed to take her back to the park where he showed her the view. Along the way, the tabby had a little trouble keeping his sight on Shawna as she wondered around on anything that made her interest. After about a half hour, Leon had managed to escort her to the spot.

They both sat on top of the rock formation looking toward the city. "I was thinking about this place all day. The view from here is amazing. I can see everything from here, yet we're not that high up."

"Yeah. It's a great spot."

"How did you know about this?" Shawna asked. Leon kept his sight toward the city as the sun was slowly starting to shine golden.

"My dad showed me this spot. He took me here to see the fireworks once and this spot was the best. Nobody can really see us from here, so whenever I was upset about something I came here to relax. I stood here for hours that I learned about the view and the sun reflecting off the building. It was like watching fireworks every day when it started to set."

"Must be nice." Shawna said. "To bring up a memory."

"Trust me, this one isn't. Fireworks aren't the same to me anymore." Leon balled his fists as tightly as he could. It occurred to him that what he said made Shawna worry. "Unlike you, there are memories I don't want to remember. Ones that I want to forget."

"Take me home. I had enough today." Shawna's command was filled with ice. Leon didn't mean to ruin her good mood after coming all this way with her. The walk back to the home was quiet and neither tried to talk each other. Shawna didn't even drift away or wondered when they passed by shops. She kept her pace even with Leon's, looked forward, and occasionally shifted her bag to a comfortable position.

When they arrived, Leon thought about apologizing, but Shawna was already making her way up the steps and opening the door. "Please, take me out again. Don't be such a jerk next time." With that, she entered and left tabby alone on the sidewalk.

"Right..."

* * *

Shawna leaned against her bedroom door, shuffling through her bag. She pulled out a journal and pen, quickly flipping to an empty page from her sudden inspiration.

_Being lost under the skies_

_I'm being bound by its strong grasp_

_I see you_

_Walking towards my way_

_I tried to call out to you_

_But my words are jumbled up_

_My heart won't_

_Let me say what I want_

_If I tell_

_You show me how to love_

_I'll show you how to live_

_Beyond the farthest distance_

_Can you set me free using your dazzling smile?_

_I want to see the skies turn pink_

_I just said_

_You show me how to live_

_I'll show you how to love_

_I won't hold back my emotions_

_This flashback of me taking my memory_

_I want to see all of my friends_

* * *

Leon walked silently on the way back home, thinking that he could have at least said something to her to maker her feel better. But he was a little hopefully that Shawna hadn't completely wanted to stop hanging out. "I guess I am a bit of a jerk..." The tabby's phone began to go off loud that it scared him. "Jeez, Chance, you have the oddest timing."

"Leon? It sounds like you're okay. Where have you been? You were supposed to watch the place while we were out!"

"Did something happen?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Cannot Forget**

Enforcers had been talking to both Chance and Jake when Leon came up to the garage. The look on their faces held much disbelief that they were even robbed in the first place, but relieved that nothing important was taken. One of the enforcers questioned the young tabby if he had anything of value that he could have possibly had taken. Leon couldn't really recall anything important since his bag only contained clothing and his necessities.

"Do you suppose this envelope was also in your bag when you arrived?" A younger tom, probably a year or two older than Leon, held a seemingly normal envelope in his hands. His tone was professional, stood proudly for he had a badge hanging around his neck with the enforcer's emblem on it. "How long have you been in Megakat?"

"About a month now."

"Did you know this envelope was at the bottom of your belongings?"

"Not at all." Leon said. The envelope was bent around the corners and held lines that indicated where it was probably folded from being shifted around. The young tom gave him a skeptic look and proceeded to open the envelope. The other two enforcers were given the order to watch the outside as the young tom lowered the envelope.

"I don't know if this was left behind or given to you at some earlier date, but this may be the reason for the break-in."

"What do you mean by that?" Chance asked.

"The envelope held nothing of actual importance that ascertained to any of you. But whatever was inside, it's gone now. Luckily nobody was around since your 'guest' really turned the place upside down looking for your luggage."

"My luggage..." Leon thought back. He did remember that he left his bag and someone gave it to him realizing he had lost it. "'...Wouldn't want to lose that again.' The guy from the train. I lost my bag when I was on the train ride to Megakat."

"I see..." The tom pulled out his pocketbook and pencil, "Do you remember what the man may have looked like?"

"He was probably six feet, brown dark fur, thin guy who I believe is in his mid forties. Very polite though I did think the way he talked was pretty creepy."

"Physical features, please." The tom sighed. Leon tried to remember what the man looked like but the time from when it happened made it all hazy. The tom noted down as best as he could, showing Leon his rendition of the man he had encountered on the train.

"Yeah. He looked something like that."

"Very well, I'll have this go around. In the mean time, please leave this to the Enforcers and don't do anything rash." The tom tipped his hat and made his way out.

* * *

Leon couldn't sleep that night. He tossed and turn, groaning at how much more uncomfortable the couch could get. There were times when Leon felt powerless to do anything and being told not to do anything 'rash' really stung him hard. Leon wondered if Liz was still awake and left her a message. It was quite a while before he actually had a reply from her. The tabby wanted to tell her about the break in, but he didn't want to get her worried either. "Worried with what...?" Leon asked himself.

Instead of focusing on what had happened, he asked Liz about what happened on her end. Liz explained how her uncle had been injured in a bust toward one of the city gang members. She would be gone for a while as her uncle was given time off to relax, which was a bigger deal to handle since Liz said, _"He's a busybody with no 'off' switch."_

_"Just be glad he isn't jumping out the window to fight crime."_ Liz replied with a laugh. Being able to talk with Liz eased him up a bit. Their conversation became animated with talk of schoolwork and exams coming up. Soon Liz mentioned the school trip they would be taking the weekend after exams. Leon was actually starting to get disappointed that sleep reared its head in. Looking at the time, it was around three in the morning now. _"Why are you up so late?"_

Liz's reply was simple. _"Was hoping you would text me. Why are you still up?"_

_"I couldn't sleep well. Wondered if you were up still."_

_"Something wrong?"_ Liz asked. That was the question Leon was trying to avoid. He hesitated for a moment before typing anything down.

_"No. Just this really old couch is hard to sleep on."_ 'She doesn't have to know. Can't let her get worried.'

_"You sleep on an old couch? Is that why you're always so grouchy in the mornings?"_ Liz's wink icon really turned the worried tone around. Before Leon could finish his reply, another message came in. _"I have to get some sleep. Got a lot of things to do in the morning. Good night."_

The young tabby sighed, finished his message, and placed it back on the coffee table. Even with their conversation easing him up, it still wasn't enough to lull him to sleep. His eyes felt heavy, but his mind kept racing on what had happened. His thoughts wouldn't shut up. Leno's head had an argument with itself to do something rather than just sit and wait.

During these times, Leon would usually get up and go for a walk to clear his head. The problem with that was his uncle's rule on not leaving the house after curfew. The tiny confine of the living room was making it a lot harder for him to sleep. Closing his eyes one last time, huddled close the couch as best as he could, eased his breathing just a little bit before he heard movement and a strong scent.

"Cut it out... I'm trying to sleep here."

"Sorry to cut in your rest, but you should really get up now. It's already one in the afternoon." Leon didn't react until he finally caught what Jake said. "I tried waking you up earlier but you were so passed out. Chance tried too, but then gave up. He called the school saying you'd be absent due to a family situation."

"Great. Slept all morning..." Leon sighed.

"Feeling okay?" Jake asked.

"Not really sure. Just in shock, I guess." Leon said. Jake understood how he felt, but there wasn't really anything they could have done to prevent it. Leon watched Jake's expression change a little and his tone seemed a little off. "Hey, do you mind if I have a guest over? I need to talk to someone."

"Sure. Just be sure you guys stay in the living room."

* * *

Leon had made his call to invite Edge over to talk with him for a while about the break in. In the time he was waiting, Jake had him do some chores around the garage and helped out with any tasks. It wasn't long before a van pulled up to the garage with his friends jumping right out of it.

"Trey? Jackie?"

"Edge called us saying you had something to talk about, so we came as soon as we could after school."

"That's right. Trey and I thought ahead and decided to bring along some more old buddies." Jackie and Trey waved their arms to the door way of the garage introducing two older toms.

"Yo. Been a while Leon. Remember me?"

"Of course he'd remember you, Mark. You were practically his second second."

"Sage, you really need to learn to enjoy a reunion."

"Wow... I almost didn't recognize you two. Maybe being gone really added in the few extra pounds." Leon said. Everyone sort of laughed awkwardly before they started to get a little bit more serious. "Anyway, before we say anything, I'd like to remind you all that-"

"Leon!" Jake called out as he reentered the garage. "Whoa! I thought you said you were gonna invite one friend over."

"He did. We just got the tag along from that guy." Jackie pointed behind Jake. Edge had arrived along with the tom who seemed a little embarrassed. "What's the matter?"

"My bike broke down just a block away. Lucky for me I was already heading down to a garage with mechanics."

"Well I can't do anything about having you all here, but please be careful. Maybe outside would be a better place to hang out." Jake slightly glared at the young tabby. In response, Leon hastily led everyone outside where they could talk in private.

Everyone was moved away from the building far enough for them to have their conversation. Leon stood quiet for a while wondering what to say and where to start since he had been used for a crime. "The reason I had wanted to talk was about what had happened last night while everyone was gone. There was a break-in. Before you guys say anything, no, nothing was stolen."

"That's pretty odd for a break-in." Mark said.

"Yeah. The only thing that was discovered was an empty envelope in my bag. Whoever broke in was looking for it and rather in a hurry."

"So they have what their looking for. So what? You're not a target anymore and it shouldn't involve you at all. We had our fair share of troubles in the past. What makes you think we would drop the peaceful lives we managed to make?" Mark glared down at the young tabby.

"I'm not saying we should do anything. I just want to know if this sort of thing had happened before?"

"Well," Sage began, "there was this one incident that happened a few months back. There was a break-in on some family's home, but nothing was taken. Only a struggle. The family had a daughter who had been there at the time of the break-in and was kidnapped. No ransom or even a note was left behind. The girl's body was never found either. I'm sure the case is still open, but not for long if it runs cold."

"That's pretty scary, if you ask me." Jackie said.

"Sage, what did that have to do with this?" Edge asked.

"I'm not sure. But if you're curious about what happened, I'd check out the case yourself or bring it up to a detective at the place. I'm sure they would tell you about it seeing you are a victim in some way." Leon thought about it in his head. His curiosity was begging for him to act on it.

"...Maybe I should check my bag. I might find some kind of clue to what is going on here. Can you guys check around outside for anything off or that doesn't belong?"

"You've got a lot of guts ordering us around like that." Mark continued to glare at the tabby. "We'll do it, but under one condition: don't get us too involved." Leon nodded. Mark huffed and split up his group into two.

Edge stood with Leon wondering if he was alright, but Leon only smiled softly at him and went on inside. As they proceeded upstairs, Jake called out to them which they ignored rather easily. In the living room, Leon began to dump his belongings on the couch and spread them around; checking each of his clothing for anything off.

"Leon! What the hell is... What are you doing?"

"Just wondering what to wear. Um... Edge, can you take Jake downstairs?"

"Sure." Edge walked up Jake and led him back downstairs with a slight struggle. Leon couldn't find anything that seemed out of place on his clothes. He checked all the bag's pockets and carefully inspected the inside of his bag.

"Nothing..." Leon sat down on the couch, knocking a sock down. He tried picking it up, but accidentally pushed it under the couch to his annoyance. This time he got on his knees and bent down to look pick up his sock when he noticed something faintly shining a little further in. He reached in and pulled out what looked like a small battery of some sort. It was cylinder in shape, a green line around the top with the code F8-25 printed on the side.

Without hesitation, he ran down and out of the garage with everyone still around searching. With a quick call to gather around, they all quickly made it the him. "So, did you find anything?" Trey asked.

"It's something..." Leon showed the object he found. "Does anyone have a guess what it is?"

"It looks sort of similar to a laser battery. Like the once I've seen inserted into prototype laser weapons. The Enforcers used to have me test weapons down in Pumadyne when they needed an expert shooter."

"Really? A laser battery... J-Jake!?" Leon was shocked that Jake was around with them.

"Where did you get that?"

"Under the couch..."

"Mind if I have a look?" Jake reached out a hand to take the object. Leon reluctantly gave him the item and stood back a bit. "The code on this... It's different. My guess it's not laser anymore. Most laser powered weapons have a five character code. But a four... That I don't know."

"Four characters... Wait, my dad used to research on something that had a four character code. He would have it locked away in his office where he was really secure about it. I don't know if Pumadyne had cleaned out his office or not, but there was to be something there that could help-"

"No way!" A heavy voice yelled out from behind them. "You have school to worry about. Whatever is going on around here, drop it! Jake, what is going on around here?" Jake quickly explained as best as he could with what was going on from his point of view. Leon tried to explain himself, but was interrupted. "Stop! Don't you try to say anything! I said to drop it!"

"But-" Chance growled loud enough for the young tabby to stagger and shut up.

"This is going to the Enforcers. It's evidence and I don't want to hear anymore about this. I mean it, Leon." Chance left without a thought and Jake followed instantly.

Leon stood there. Angry. Confused. Distraught. He gritted his teeth and tried to hold in a yell, "FUCK YOU, CHANCE!" Leon then ran away into the city, held his breath, breathed in when he needed and held it again. He kept on running. Anyone who tried catching up to him just stopped at some point. When he was sure he was far enough to stop, he wheezed and struggled for air. There were heavy pants and gasps. Leon placed his hands on a wall and yelled out loud enough to get all his anger out.

"Leon..." The tabby quickly looked up glaring. His expression changed when Shawna walked up to him looking rather worried. Leon eased up and fell to his knees. He began to shiver. Quietly sobbed into his hands to avoid being seen in his state in front of Shawna.

She waited for the tabby to stop and eventually was able to sit next to him looking up at the sky. Leon calmed down enough to eventually stop his tears, but didn't say a word. Neither did Shawna. He noticed she was looking up at the sky and did the same.

The sky was a bright blue with a few clouds drifting across. He began to count how many clouds he could see then tried to find any formations. He looked down after getting his fill to see Shawna was staring at him.

"Why did you cry? You were angry when I found you."

"I don't know how I felt..." Leon waited for another question. She just kept staring at him hoping he would explain even more. "Remember when I said I wanted to forget some memories? I wanted to forget how I got my dad killed. How it was my fault that he died. I was just a stupid kid who thought he had all the power he had to protect his friends and family. I made one mistake. A really big mistake. These guys came and attacked the research facilities my father worked in. When I heard about it, I rounded up all the guys I could get from my group to drive them away. It was just chaos after that when we got there. Bodies everywhere. Blood and cries of agony. I didn't care how many of those bastards I killed until I rescued my father. And...there he was. Held at gun point as a hostage."

* * *

"_It's you pesky brats. I don't have any business with you, but get in my way, I'll be sure to kill off every single kid in your gang."_

"_Let him go! I swear to God, I'll rip you apart just like all the goons I had to shred to get here! Let my father go!"_

"_Your father? Looks like your son delivered the key right to me."_

"_The key...?"_

"_Run! Leon, get out!"_

"_Run off and your father's brains will be splattered all over this office."_

"_Leon! Please, you have to escape!"_

"_Hand me the key!"_

"_There! Here's your fucking key! Just... Just let my father go..."_

* * *

"He let him go. Just like that. The the guy shot my father in the head after getting what he wanted then aimed his gun at me. If Edge hadn't gotten to me in time...I would have been killed too. He stabbed him. Both struggled to kill each other off, but the guy escaped. Edge was too hurt chase after him. All I did was panic. I panicked. I yelled. I cried. I died inside. It was all my fault. If I hadn't hesitated to run off. If I had acted to kill him before he had the chance to kill my father, he'd still be alive. I wouldn't be a huge fucking mess."

"You're not a mess."

"Don't give me that."

"Okay. You are a mess." Leon cringed when Shawna said that. "But you're still here. Why? I heard most people would take their lives when they can't handle so much pain."

"Shawna... Are you suggesting I take my own life?"

"No. I'm just wondering why you haven't." Leon thought about the question very carefully and considered an honest question.

"I'd be lying if I said I never thought about it. But what will that do? It won't fix anything. I won't feel the pain anymore, but my problems would only be a burden to the people I love. I can't just quit. That's why... That's why I came back."

"For what?"

"To fix things. I need to find who killed my father. I didn't make plans to avenge him for nothing. I just need some time. After what happened today...I might have to wait a little while longer."

"Avenge your father..." Shawna stood up, dusting her skirt, "You won't get very far. Doing this alone would only get you killed if you get on the end of someone's gun again."

"Thanks... That's the confidence I need..."

"Are you about done sitting? I'm getting pretty hungry. What about you?"

"All you can think about is food?"

"You promised you would show me around. I know we didn't plan to meet today, but here you are. Come on, I'm bored."

"Do... Do you not even care about what I just told you?"

"I do. But staying here and feeling sorry for yourself isn't really good for you. It makes me hate you. It's annoying. Dumb idiot." Leon didn't know how to reply. He just shook his head and sighed.

After a somewhat peaceful lunch, Leon perked up a bit hanging out with Shawna. Leon tried to steer away from more of his past when Shawna asked him about it. It was like her curiosity was her reason for being around him at all. Leon would sometimes slip a bit of his past throughout the evening here and there. Shawna told him she never imagined him to be so spirited and happy.

Leon tried to poke some information about her, but nothing came to mind. All the questions she barraged the tabby with seemed pretty personal. "So you really don't remember anything about your past?"

"That's right. I have no memories. All I can remember are what I've experience after waking up."

"You woke up? Where?"

"In a town east of here. I was in a hospital for several days until I was told to move into a home here in Megakat. Then I met you in the restaurant. Our time in the park. The day we ate with your friend. And now."

"You...don't get out much, huh?"

"I do. Mostly errands, but that's about it. The lady at the home is a total slave driver." Shawna pouted into her hand.

Leon knew he had his own problems to deal with, but he didn't want to leave her alone either. "I'll help."

"Huh?"

"I want to help you remember your memories." Leon smiled softly.

"What? Y-You idiot! Don'tsaythingslikethatyoudumbjerk!" Shawna blushed as she fidgeted in her seat.

"Um... S-Sorry..." Leon said. He flinched a little with her sudden outburst and knowing he would never get used to that. "Anyway, want me to take you home?"

"Yeah. I think I've been out too long for this errand."

"What were you doing?"

"I was told to keep that a secret."

"Right..." Leon said.


End file.
